Hi Or Hey Records • lh

4. Hi Or Hey?

(strongly recommend you listen to Rich Kids by Bea Miller when I say to in this chapter, it makes it more cinematic ;-) im going to indicate you should start the song with an asterisk [*] so look out for that)

•|LUKE|•

"I've always wanted to be a judge on X Factor." Calum piped. "Sucks that you'll never be one." Michael snorted in response. The four chairs lined up in front of the long table resembled one that would be on a show like the X Factor. "Are you guys ready?" Our security man asked. "Send them in!" Ashton yelled.

The search for a band to sign to Hi Or Hey Records had begun a couple months ago when we asked any bands interested to submit a demo or video. We had chosen a select twenty we wanted to hear more from and the majority said yes.

One by one bands entered the musty auditorium and stated their name and song choice. By the fifth band I couldn't believe how much talent we had seen.

"They sounded worse in person." Calum whispered after a group of guys in all black and white had performed a cover of our song, "English Love Affair". I laughed, "They were pretty good." I said not agreeing or disagreeing. A group of girls walked on next, and I recognize them immediately from their audition.

They looked like they already had hit fame and had personal stylists. For their black clothes, ripped jeans, and and black boots all coordinated perfectly.

"Hi." A skinny girl with curly blonde hair a short black skirt said quietly into the microphone. "Hey guys, what are you're names?" Ashton asked.

"I'm Cody." The same girl said. "I'm Jordan." A tall brunette with black jeans with rips on both knees said.
"And I'm Mari." The last girl said. She looked Latin, and had the thickest build of them all. Still, she carried out of the outfit theme by wearing light wash ripped jeans tucked into black boots with a black shirt the proclaimed "idk...google it"

"We're Empty Gold." Cody said with a smile. I remembered her specifically, and how good of a singer she was. "So what are you guys going to play?" I asked with a grin.

"We're gonna do, "Rich Kids" by Bea Miller." said confidently. "Sick, let's hear it." Michael said to them.

We waited as they got ready to play for us. Cody took her bass out of the case while Jordan up her guitar and Mari got on the drum set we already had set up for each band.

At midst bending over, I got a clear view of Cody's butt which was covered by only a one, (quite exposing) layer of underwear. Although I wasn't complaining, it seemed a little weird.

With a wink to Jordan and Mari (*) Cody started off the song. The guitars harmonized almost instantly and the drums perfectly echoed he beat. "After school I always had to work, it kinda left me feeling like a jerk, cause I never got to talk to the guy I like, and then ain't right." Cody began. Her voice was smooth and airy; almost angelic. Yet it had a hint of fire in it, giving it the perfect balance of sweet and sour.

"Ooh, la da di da." Her and Jordan sang in harmony. Jordan was good but not as good a Cody. Her voice came out on its own very little, but when it did it was sharp and on key. Hitting each note with a sense of urgency. "Rich kids got a lot to say, rich kids never have to pay, everything's funny when you're young with money and mommy and daddy can pay the way." They sang.

We all laughed upon hearing that well written and clever line and clapped briefly to indicate how good they were.
"A little later on in life, when I finally get my money right, it's still never enough the stuck up type." Jordan sang sharper than ever.

"Damn, they're good." Calum whispered to me. I nodded, "Like really good." I said. "Ooh la da di da. Without a care in the world." Mari sang, making her first vocal appearance from the drums.

If anything she sounded mainstream. Not bad but not amazing. Not that I was judging her. Her voice was easy on the ears but nothing exceptionally special.

"Rich kids never go to jail, rich kids never buy on sale, rich kids always have to most fun, man I wish that I was one." They sang together. "Maybe he's not for me, maybe he did me a favor, maybe he saved me some trouble down the line." Cody sang.

"Maybe they're just like me, maybe that's what they mean, don't judge a book the cover." She added holding out the last note longer than I assumed it was held out in the song.

From high to low, she changed her pitch effortlessly creating a beautiful ad-libbed note. "Rich kids!" They all shouted at once the music started to come back in. "Rich kids! Never have to pay." They sang.

The chorus continued twice until it ended abruptly and the very last "Man I wish that I was one."

"Wow!" I said looking at Ashton and Michael. "That was just fucking great, you guys can really play." Ashton commented. "Thank you, oh my gosh." Jordan said. "Yeah and the drumming was intense! Ashton I though you'd comment on that." I laughed.

"The drumming was fantastic." Ashton stated laughing. "He's just too full of himself to compliment other people drumming." Calum jokingly told the girls. The girls laughed. "That's not true, stop it Calum!" Ashton exclaimed.

"Michael is so breath taken he has no words." I said looking at Michael. They laughed again, and so did Michael. "You guys just really hit it on the head, that was awesome." He said to them. "Thank you so much." Cody said flashing her perfect white teeth with a very happy grin."

"So," I said into the mic, happy to give away our version of a "golden ticket" for the first time. "I think we can all agree that you guys were fucking awesome." I stated.

"So do you guys wanna play for us one more time in, Philly for the final round of this-" I didn't have to finish because they were all already screaming, hugging, crying, and repeating. Except Cody. Yes she screamed and jumped up and down the girls, but her unfazed and confident smirk still remained on her face as she walked up and too the black ticket from my hand.

"We can't wait to see you guys there." Ashton said. "Igualmente, likewise!" Mari yelled into the microphone. I assumed the beginning of her sentence was Spanish, seeing she looked Hispanic.

But as soon as those words left her mouth, Cody's smirk faltered. Only for a second, maybe less. But I noticed. "Thank you guys so much." They said before leaving the stage.

"I think we found our opening band." Michael said. We all nodded. Ashton sneezed loudly making me laugh before saying, "But keep an open mind lads, we've still go more to see.